"ConnectWith™ Resources to Help You Thrive"

Archive for the month “June, 2013”

For my Phoenician Friends…since it’s going to be about 118 on Saturday, might I suggest a nice day in the a/c learning about how social media can help your business? 😉
via Connect With Greg http://www.facebook.com/events/400446393403676/

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3 Quick Rules for Your Social Call-To-Action

You’ve probably heard people talk about how important it is to have a clear Call-To-Action (CTA), but what would that look like for you and your product/service within the realm of posting to your social media and why should your Social Call-To-Action (SCTA) be different?

First, it’s important to realize that a call-to-action in social channels is far different from what you’re likely accustomed to seeing on normal a sales page. People ConnectWith™ you on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and your other social sites to keep up with your brand…aaannnnnd maybe to get some of your special offers, if you have them lol.

Like a regular call-to-action, your SCTA (Social Call-To-Action) is simply an offer for them the opportunity to take some kind of desired action or interaction. Be very clear about what action you want your reader to take after viewing your post.

But there are some differences, as well, between sales CTA’s and Social CTA’s. Here are a few general rules to consider when combining social media and calls-to-action in your sales process.

RULE 1: MINIMIZE DIRECT SELLING

Buy Buy! = Bye Bye!

Don’t be one of those people who just tries to rush readers immediately through to the checkout page…you know you’ve seen them. How did this high-pressure approach make you feel? Remember, if your readers feel like they’re being pushed, prodded, and sold, you’re likely to lose them right then and there. There is a time and place for occasional direct SCTA’s, but generally too many of these will push more people away than it will attract. Fewer Readers = Fewer Sales.

RULE 2: GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED FIRST

What your readers want and need from you is enough information and time to get to know more about you and what you offer, not just a stream of hard-sell sales pitches.

To accomplish this, your content actually IS part of your pre-SCTA sales process. Focus on giving them the educational content they need and want first. Teach them about what you do and show them that you honestly have their best interest at heart. You want your reader to stick around long enough to decide if they like and trust you. Once they see this and they begin to understand that you have a viable solution to their problem, they will be much more likely to respond to your SCTA’s.

RULE 3: READERS TAKE ACTION

Now that you have avoided driving potential customers away with any hard-sell tactics AND have begun to build a rapport with your readers by giving them engaging and educational content, it’s time for your SCTA.

Your SCTA should be an invitation for people to respond or interact in some way. Again, this does not usually mean a sale, but some kind of response that will move them (gently! lol) along the process of deciding they trust you enough to invest in your solution to their problem.

DO ASK YOUR READERS…

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…for a comment on your post.
…for a social share to their friend.
…to take action steps that will help your them apply your post’s information.
…a question that gets your readers thinking and have a poll available for their responses.
…to click through to your blog to give them even more helpful information.
…for their e-mail address in return for an informative white paper or pdf.

Remember, the ‘sale’ is not the only thing of value in social strategy. Each of these action has value to you. Each time your readers interact or share, this provides increased exposure for your message and more opportunity for others to find you. More exposure = more sales, so if you do this right, you could potentially be getting twice the value for your time invested in relationship-building here.

YOUR BASIC SCTA (SOCIAL CALL-TO-ACTION) STRATEGY

1. Focus first on giving them what they need most from you – information/content.
2. Plan some kind of SCTA into your social posts, even if it’s just asking for a comment or share.
3. Tell them exactly what you would like them to do.

Trust me, if your readers like and trust you enough to be commenting, sharing, and interacting with you, sales WILL happen. Make their interactions with you easy, quick, and enjoyable, and they will keep coming back for more.

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If you’re not yet on Google+, OR if you ARE and want to find out some great insider tips and tricks…you might want to check out this great FREE event this Wed. Maybe I’ll see you there?
via Connect With Greg http://www.facebook.com/events/656078464406791/